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Principal Georgina Frost said: “We got the names of the servicemen and women from Longton Cenotaph, so they were all local people.

“The children who released the balloons either had family members who had died or had similar surnames to them. There were also some children who had relatives serving in the Armed Forces at the moment.

“It was to get the children to understand the sacrifices people have made by going off to war.”

Grace Hampton and Paige Reason release their balloons

Just like the soldiers who set off on their journey to battle, some of the balloons may never come back. But the hope is as many of the 100 balloons as possible will be found and the names of those who died will reach a wider audience.

Park Hall pupil Chloe Ratcliffe has family connections to the Second World War and was keen to get involved in the tribute.